Connecting and switching device



July 24, 1951 E. PERDlJoN CONNECTING AND SWITCHING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 29, 1949 my m .WJ m ni c s M MP E ma July 24, 1951 E. PERDIJoN CONNECTING AND SWITCHING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 29, 1949 OQO Y *from ril @@@Q .Il

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Patented July 24, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONN ECITING:` AND' SWITGHIN G DEVICE Emile, Perdijon; Saint-Duell, France,

ApplicationJuneZB, 1949,`Ser al No. 102,087r

, In France July 2,1948

This invention relates to connecting and switching devices.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device enabling any desired combination of electricall circuits to be established instantaneously 6 Claims. (Cl.l 200e-46)- thatI during their movement therods selected by theA card are advanced by means of the cardi to act` upon the; circuit-closingI means registering l with theseL rods.

tions, multiple-circuit switches have been designed which are provided with as many contacts of eachpolarity and as many rods as there are circuits to be connected; In these devices the rods corresponding to the circuits to be connected are pushed through perforations providedv in a card to establish connection between the contact members of the severalV4 circuits;

This old,L typel of device operates withperiorated, cards in which the arrangement or the perforations varies according to the circuits which areto be established, so thatby merely placing suitable reference marks on the cards, the one corresponding to the desired circuit combination` can `be traced without diiiiculty. In these devicesV the rods are usually provided with a return spring which is compressed, when the contacts arev closed. It is obvious that the greater the number of rods actuated foreach combination, the greater must be the effort to be made to compress the springs.

The present inventionhas for its object to eliminate this drawback: O ne characteristic feature of this invention is the factthat the card itselfL which corresponds; to the desiredcircuit combination, forms theselecting-and operating'means-l According to another feature of the invention, the new device is al combination of Qnestructure having circuit-closing members mounted thereon, i

and a secondy structure in which the contact establishing rods are arranged for free slidingmovement inguides hayng the same geometrical arrangement as the circuit-closing members of the structure first mentioned, the second structure also oieringfacilities for introducing a perforated` card; The two structures are relatively movable in a direction parallel to the rod axes, so

Other features and* advantages of the invention will' appear'from the specification in connection with the. drawings affixedv to it,4 which illustrate a preferred embodiment diagrammatically'iby Wayof example.

This specific embodimentis particularly adapted foruse in the testing of' multi-electrode valves or tubes, but it WillV be clearthat the inventionl isalso applicablel to any other case, requiring theA establishment ofa greater varietyof circuits, notably when statistic machinery, telephone` circuits; etc. are concerned- It is applicablenotonly toelectric, but also to hydraulic circuit combinations.

The principal advantages offered by the device according tol the invention are itsA simple design' and the-practically unlimited number of combinations which can be made with its aid, In addition, 'when the invention is applied to the closing of variousA electric circuits, it offers theiurther advantage, in'comparison with prior art systems, that the contact-closing members` employed are highly eflicacious and automatically cleaned by :[rictional` engagement with the contact establishing members (rods) In the drawings: y l

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective Viewy of,A the variouscomponent membersofthe device according to-theinvention; f

Fig; 21 is a perspective viewm ofthe, casings en,- closing the two main partsoifl this device, while,

Figs. 3 andlll area plan viewgand an inside view,A

respectively, or thecasings, and

Figs. 5 andl 6- are perspective views ofthe two types of contact-closing sockets I it to b e used in the switching operatonsacoording to the :invention.

Referring to the drawings andt first; to Fig. 1,

the device` illustrated comprises as many contact,

sockets I-l" of* each polarity and as, many, rods 2\ asthere are circuits to be controlled by the4 device.

tions in axial alignmentA andv constituting grids,

theY sockets I--l being mounted in these perforationsand the; rodsZ-being.` also in axial alignment withvthe sockets, so that by threading the rods 2 into the-sockets l'-I" the latter willbe'electricallyr connected andi the corresponding circuit closed. While the threaded tips of the rods are called tions.

upon to establish conductive contact between the sockets, the entire lengths of the rods Will be made of metal for practical reasons.

The plates 3-3' acting as supporting members for the Sockets I-I and shown on the right in Fig. 1 are secured to a structure consisting essentially of a plate 4 of insulating material carried at its four corners by screw-threaded `braces 5 `arranged at right anglesto theplate. Theplates 4, 3 and 3 are held in parallelly spaced relation by means of spacers 6 mounted on the braces 5. A perforated intermediate plate 3 is inserted between the plates 3 and 3 to prevent any undesired contact between the sockets I and I. This entire assembly is firmly fitted together to form the rst of the two rigid units.r The plate 4 is also formed with perforations in axial alignment with the perforations of the plates 3 3', that is to say in alignment with the pair of contact sockets belonging to the same circuit.

The rods 2 are mounted for free sliding move- .ment in a second structure consisting of insulatestablish contact between them. During this 2 are cylindrical and uniformly dimensioned.A

Each one carries a collar I2. The rods 2 engage, onl either side of the collars I2, the perforations of the plates 'Iand B. Marginal plate sections I3 inserted between the plates 8 and 9, are fixed on the braces [0in such manner that the clearance between the plates 8 and 9 is somewhat greater than the thickness of the perforated card I4 serving for` closing the circuit desired. The sections I3 are so shaped that they allow the card to be freely inserted between the plates 8 and 9, the lateral sections serving as guide members, while the bottom section which in the drawing is hidden behind the plate 8, forms an abutment for the bottom edge of the card.

The screw-threaded braces Ill arev firmly secured to the plates and the entire assembly formsa rigid structure with all corresponding perforations in` axial alignment. Thus, the rods can'movel freely with the minimum of friction inboth directions in the perforations as far as the collars I2 admit such movement.

The length of each rod at one side of its collar is so ichosen that the corresponding end is engaged in a predetermined perforationof the plate 8 when the collar I2 abuts against the plate l', without this rod end protruding from this perforation thereby allowing a card I4 to be inserted in thegap.

The card I4 is formed with less perforations than thereare rods or circuits provided. `Consequently, while some rods are free to slide axially through the perforations in the card I4, other rods will be stoppedA by unperforated card sec- These card sections therefore determine the circuits that can be formed with the card. In order to close the circuit represented by the selected card I4, it will be suflicient to start a linear movement of the rod-carrying structure` and the contact-carrying structure towards each other in parallel with the rod axes, whereby each rod will engage its corresponding pair of sockets and movement each rod registering with a perforations in the card I4 is simply Vstopped by the socket I which it meets, while any rod stopped by the card I4 is pushed by it through thesocket I and through the corresponding socket I. The sockets I and I are thus electrically connected and the corresponding circuits will beclosed.

The Vcircuit combinations whichffcan thus be made are of course a function ofthe number of pairs of socketsv I-I or rods 2- and correspond to all conceivable combinations of perforations of the cards I4. l

The device above described operates with a number of cards I4 which is as great as the number of possible circuits or circuit combinations, each card having a proper reference mark allowing to trace at a glance the combination which can be made therewith, so that no mistake will be possible.

A safety device is also provided for preventing the operator from inserting the selected card. I4 in a faulty manner, for instance in an upsidedown position or in only partly inserted position." To this end, the righthand unit has a. pair vof rods I5 mounted thereon in parallel with the axis of the rods 2 and secured to the plate `4,

but in sliding engagement with the left hand unit part through perforations IG', I6" and I" which allows these rodsto pass through the plates 1, 8 and 9. The card I4 comprises two perforations I6 corresponding to the rods I5 which are allowed to pass therethrough. The perforations I6 are arranged asymmetrically in thev card I4 so thatv if the card is inserted for example upside-down, the rods I5 will engage a non-perforated section, thus preventing the two units from being moved toward each other, and

thereby also preventing the closing of a circuit.

The positions of the rods I5 and the series of perforations I6', I6" and I6 are so arranged that at least one of these series of perforations is positioned forwardly of the first row of normal perforations provided for the passage of rods 2 through the plates I and 8, so that the leading edge of the card being inserted between the two units will reach this series of perforations before it reaches the outer row of the normal perforations. i

'Ivhe twounits forming the new device are fitted in suitable casings Il', I8. (Figs. 2-4) serving to protect them from dirt and dust. The casing I8 is formed with a slot I9 for the introduction of the card I4. The two movable units are guided by means of three-link hinges of a well known kind which consist of two links 2 I, 22 of even length, pivotally mounted on the casing I8 and connected by a link 23 of suitable length. Under these conditions the middle point of the connecting link 23 will follow a substantially rectilinear path. A pivot pin 24 secured to the casing I'I enters the middle of the connecting link 23. Preferably each side Yof the casings is provided with a pair of symmetrically disposed three-link devices connected by an additional link having one end pivotally mounted'on the pin which connects the link 2| with the link 23 of one device while its other end is also pivotally mounted on the pin .connecting the link 2I and the link 23 Aof the other device on one side of the casing, so

that the displacements of the middle points 24 Y of both links 23 will be equal in length.

The casings I'I and I8 are connected by means of a plurality of identical three-link devices with a,y minimum of two arranged on. two orthogonal faces of both casings, respectively. However, for the sake of symmetry it is preferable to provide one device of this type on each side of the two casings. With these devices it will be possible to make the two casings perform a relative rectilinear movement without causing any friction between the parts. A handle 25 is fixed to one end of a shaft 26 mounted for rotation in the casing I8, and has fixed to it an arm 20 connected to the other casing I1 by means of a link 21.

The casing I'I is arranged beneath the casing I8 so that the rods 2 can normally meet the sockets I by gravity, thus uncovering the gap between the plates 3 and 9 into which the selected card I4 can now be introduced. When this card has been inserted in its operative position, the casing Il and with it all the rods 2 can be lifted by operating the handle 25. Some of the rods will follow the rectilinear motion without any difficulty and will pass through the perforations in the cardlll, while others will abut against unperforated sections of the card and be stopped thereby. They will therefore engage the sockets I, I in succession, thus closing the desired circuit or circuits according to the perforation of the card inserted. By operating the lever 25 in the opposite direction the casing I1 will be moved away from the casing I8 and the sockets I--I will be freed from the rods which connected them, by the action of the collar portions I2.

Of course, the .device above described, instead of being utilized in the position in which the rods 2 bear freely by gravity upon the sockets I, may be used in any other position. In this case, catches may be provided for holding the rods applied against the opening ends of the sockets I.

In Figs. 5 and 6 are shown types of sockets which may be used with advantage in the device above described. These types of sockets may be replaced by any other known type adapted to ensure an eiicient contact with the rods 2. As these various types of sockets are well known in the art, it is not deemed necessary to describe them in detail.

The first (contact-closing) unit is secured within the casing I1 for example by means of the end portions of the screw-threaded braces 5 which may be screwed into screw-threaded perforations 28 provided in the casing (Fig. 4). The second (rod-carrying) unit can be fastened, for example by means of the end portions of the screw-threaded braces I0, which are screwed into corresponding perforations 29 in the bottom of the casing I8 (Fig. 3). A shoulder portion 30 is provided in the bottom of the casing l1 (Fig. 4) to form the free space required for the sockets I', a similar shoulder portion 3| being also provided in the bottom of the casing I8 (Fig. 3) to allow the end portions of `the rods 2 to move.

The sockets I and I are connected with their respective circuits by means of conductors 32 and 33, jointed together to form a wire which passes through an orifice 34 provided in the casing I1.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the details shown and described, for obvious modications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

l. In a device of the kind described in combination, a plurality of substantially identical grids of insulating material, a plurality of conductive push rods extending through and freely movable in said grids, current carrying contact sockets provided at two of said grids, and means for moving said two grids toward a third grid to establish bodily Contact of said rods withsaid sockets, a clearance being left between said third grid and a fourth grid for the insertion of a perforated stop card barring the way to an end of at least one of said rods, as they mcve relative to the grids.

2. The device `of claim l, wherein said grids are formed by plates of insulating material formed with a plurality of identically arranged perforations.

3. The device defined in claim 1, wherein said third and fourth grids are combined in a rigid unit by meansof marginal plate sections secured between them, whereby to establish the said clearance between said third and fourth grids to permit the insertion of the perforated stop card.

` 4. The device of claim 1, in which spacing collars are provided on some rods.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein said grids are assembled in two units, said push rods are I- adapted to pass through corresponding perforations of the grids of both units, said two grids carrying said sockets are assembled to one of said two units, and said third and fourth grids defining said clearance for the insertion of various perforated stop cards are assembled in the other of said two units, said clearance being provided by means of marginal plate sections between said third and fourth grids.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said grids are assembled in two units, said push rods are adapted to pass through corresponding perforations of the grids of both units, said two grids carrying said sockets are assembled in one of said units, said third and fourth grids defining said clearance for the insertion of various perforated stop cards are assembled in the other of said units, the said clearance being provided by means of marginal plate sections between said third and fourth grids, each unit comprising a protective casing supporting said grids and said units being arranged for rectilinear translation movement parallel to the direction of said push rods.

EMILE PERDIJON.

No references cited. 

